US5051786A
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Passivated polycrystalline semiconductors quantum well/superlattice structures fabricated thereof
Assignee: MCNC Research and Development Institute
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Filing: 1989-10-24
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Granted: 1991-09-24
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Expires: 2009-10-24
Abstract
Abstract The internal grain boundaries and intergranular spaces of polycrystalline semiconductor material may be passivated with an amorphous material, to substantially eliminate the dangling bonds at the internal grain boundaries. The passivated polycrystalline material of the present invention exhibits a lower electrically active defect density at the grain boundaries and intergranular space compared to unpassivated polycrystalline material. Moreover, large classes of amorphous passivating materials may be used for each known semiconductor material so that the passivating process may be readily adapted to existing process parameters and other device constraints. Passivated polycrystalline material may be employed to form the well or low energy bandgap layer of a quantum well device or superlattice, while still maintaining the required tunneling effect. By freeing quantum well devices from the requirement to use monocrystalline well material deeper wells may be produced, and a wider range of materials may be used, with high yields and low cost processes.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward H. Nicollian
- 👤 Arnold Reiman
- 👤 Raphael Tsu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:54
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/90; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/40; H10D62/402; H10D62/80; H10D62/81; H10D62/815; H10D62/8161; H10D62/8162; H10D62/8163; H10D62/83; H10P95/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise silicon grains and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-silicon dioxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-silicon germanium oxide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise silicon grains and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-silicon dioxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-silicon germanium oxide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
116 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise germanium and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-germanium oxide, amorphous-phosphorous,, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-germanium silicon oxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
116 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise germanium and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-germanium oxide, amorphous-phosphorous,, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-germanium silicon oxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
124 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise a III-V compound and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-selenium, amorphous-tellurium, amorphous-sulphur, amorphous-germanium, amorphous-arsenic selenium, amorphous-indium selenium, amorphous-gallium oxide, amorphous-germanium selenium, and amorphous-gallium selenium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
124 words
A quantum well structure for a semiconductor device comprising: first and second barrier layers; and a passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer formed between said first and said second barrier layers, said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer and said first and second barrier layers having a band-edge offset therebetween; said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer comprising a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat, and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds, wherein said plurality of crystalline grains comprise a III-V compound and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-selenium, amorphous-tellurium, amorphous-sulphur, amorphous-germanium, amorphous-arsenic selenium, amorphous-indium selenium, amorphous-gallium oxide, amorphous-germanium selenium, and amorphous-gallium selenium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The quantum well structure of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein a superlattice is formed by combining at least two of said quantum well structures.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The quantum well structure of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor well layer has an energy bandgap which is lower than energy bandgaps of said first and second barrier layers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The quantum well structure of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said first barrier layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The quantum well structure of claim 6 wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate having an insulating amorphous silicon dioxide layer thereon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The quantum well structure of claim 7 wherein said first and second barrier layers comprise gallium aluminum arsenide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The quantum well structure of claim 8 wherein said first and second barrier layers comprise passivated polycrystalline gallium aluminum arsenide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises silicon, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-silicon dioxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorus oxide, and amorphous-silicon germanium oxide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
71 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises silicon, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-silicon dioxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorus oxide, and amorphous-silicon germanium oxide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises germanium, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-germanium oxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-germanium silicon oxide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises germanium, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-germanium oxide, amorphous-phosphorous, amorphous-phosphorous oxide, and amorphous-germanium silicon oxide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
81 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises a group III-V compound, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-selenium, amorphous-tellurium, amorphous-sulphur, amorphous-germanium, amorphous-arsenic selenium, amorphous-indium selenium, amorphous-gallium oxide, amorphous-germanium selenium, and amorphous-gallium selenium.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
81 words
A passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprising: a polycrystalline semiconductor material including a plurality of crystalline grains having internal grain boundaries therebetween, said internal grain boundaries having dangling bonds thereat; and an amorphous passivating agent in said grain boundaries for bonding to said dangling bonds; wherein said passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material comprises a group III-V compound, and wherein said amorphous passivating agent comprises at least one of amorphous-selenium, amorphous-tellurium, amorphous-sulphur, amorphous-germanium, amorphous-arsenic selenium, amorphous-indium selenium, amorphous-gallium oxide, amorphous-germanium selenium, and amorphous-gallium selenium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The passivated polycrystalline semiconductor material of claim 12 in combination with a silicon substrate having an insulating amorphous silicon dioxide layer thereon.
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